


Little Boy Lost

by CrunchySalad



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Drama, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, One Shot, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-22
Updated: 2011-05-22
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:13:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrunchySalad/pseuds/CrunchySalad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ichigo is having a hard time dealing with life without his powers when Grimmjow shows up, bored and wanting a fight. AU that diverges from canon after the winter war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Boy Lost

**Author's Note:**

> I had initially envisioned this as a multi-part, but after writing two parts I realized that I liked it better left here. The rest of it would have been a hassle to write and wouldn't have ended well anyway; at least this way it still has a hopeful note at the end. I'm posting the two parts together as a oneshot.

Hueco Mundo had always been large. Hueco Mundo had always been desolate. But Grimmjow had never felt it before, at least not like he felt it now. With Aizen come and gone, he felt the emptiness of this place all the more. In the cold black and gray of the night he would sit against these dunes, these dunes that seemed to spread over eternity, and he just a small speck among them. And in the day, under the harsh white heat of the sun, he could walk for miles without encountering even a tiny soul. He was alone. Completely and utterly.

Every now and then something would appear, a hollow strong enough to capture his attention. Half-starved and weak, he would start the hunt, stalking his prey until its wretched cries signaled that he would have a full stomach that night. As he sucked out the energy from the lifeless corpse he would feel himself grown stronger, but that strength was tempered by the fact that he knew famine would eventually follow. Strong prey were few and far between. Whatever the shinigami were doing to keep the hollows under control, it was working.

And then one day a little bit of color came into his monotone life. Grimmjow stared at it, a tear in the Hueco Mundo sky. Like a piece of fabric that had been ripped, its edges fluttered in the harsh wind. And suspended inside it was a city, one that Grimmjow had never seen before. With its skyscrapers and flashing lights, it was nothing like Karakura town. Grimmjow wasn't sure why this gargantua was here, had no idea who had opened it, but he didn't hesitate to step through. He just had to get away from Hueco Mundo.

It was strange, walking among humans again. Grimmjow wondered why he hadn't come into the human world before, after Aizen and the shinigami had disappeared, but than realized he had been too listless to even think of it. He walked through the streets, invisible as crowds of people rushed past him in every direction. It was almost claustrophobic, the vast number of people, the way the tall buildings seemed to close up around him. And the noise. A million people walking and speaking into their little phone devices, a million tires rolling down the streets. It was too much stimulation, and Grimmjow contemplated turning around and getting the hell out of there.

But then something caught his attention. A short mop of orange in a sea of black. It had to be, but it couldn't. . . Grimmjow couldn't feel even a hint of spiritual energy coming from that direction. But he propelled himself forward anyway, past the crowd of people that seemed to instinctually part before him. He could feel the adrenaline already coursing through his body, could feel his heart start to race. It took no time at all before he reached his goal, and there was no doubt about it: it was _him_.

"Oi," Grimmjow said, voice as abrasive as ever, "shinigami."

But Kurosaki Ichigo didn't even hear him. He just kept walking, Grimmjow falling into step beside him.

Grimmjow frowned. There was no way he had made a mistake. No way he could forget Ichigo's face, whether it was those heated brown eyes or those perpetually turned down peach lips. Only now those eyes had a sad tinge to them and those lips were pressed together even more tightly. The man looked absolutely miserable. Grimmjow could see now that Ichigo was taller but thinner, his skin slightly sallow.

"Oi, Kurosaki," he said. Again, there was nothing. Ichigo couldn't hear him. He couldn't even sense him.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Grimmjow said, feeling any hope for excitement drain away. There was no point in starting a fight with such a shell of a man. Just the thought of it made Grimmjow depressed. What the fuck had happened after Aizen blew through Karakura town. . . Grimmjow had assumed the asshole had lost when he never came back, but with the way Ichigo was right now, he couldn't help but wonder.

"You fucking asshole," Grimmjow continued, his voice a near snarl, "you told me you would fight me as much as I wanted. You fucking liar!"

And Ichigo just continued to walk down the street. It was hopeless. Grimmjow felt disappointment well up inside of him as he watched Ichigo walk down the street, watched Ichigo disappear inside of a large building. Grimmjow didn't follow him inside. Instead he clenched his teeth together and let his fist shoot forward, where it landed with a dull crack in the brick wall. The vibrations from the collision made a few nearby people jump, but they couldn't see Grimmjow's now bloody hand, couldn't see Grimmjow. Brushing it off as a small breeze, they walked off.

Grimmjow sunk down against the wall, his hand throbbing as he buried his face in his two palms. What had been the point of coming here? Seeing Ichigo in such a wretched state didn't make him happy, it was fucking depressing. Ichigo was a man Grimmjow had deemed good enough to be his rival. He wasn't supposed to be just as pathetic as any of the other lumps of meat walking around here. Grimmjow stood up. He shouldn't stay here. He should get back to Hueco Mundo. . . better desolation than disappointment.

And yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he waited for Ichigo to finish and followed him home. Like a guardian angel or an obsessed stalker, he stayed and he watched as Ichigo went through the minutiae of his everyday life. For weeks he stayed, just watching. But damned if Ichigo didn't have as boring of a life as he did.

Apparently the man was now a student at a university, from what Grimmjow gathered. He sat near the back of the room in all his classes and kept to himself. If he wasn't in class he was back in his small studio apartment, studying, with only the occasional phone call from family or friends to interrupt him. Fucking pathetic. Sometimes Grimmjow would get bored watching him and would go out to hunt hollows, careful to stay clear of any of the local shinigami, but he would always return. Even if Ichigo wasn't Ichigo anymore, there was still something about him that drew Grimmjow towards him. He just wished that the other man could actually see him.

A little variant to Ichigo's routine life occurred about two months after Grimmjow came onto the scene. Grimmjow could feel it coming, the small hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge and tingling. He hid his reiatsu the best that he could as he slipped away to the fire escape, hoping that was far enough away to escape the attention of whatever was coming. Sure enough, that tingling feeling manifested itself it the form of a floppy hat and geta sandals.

Urahara buzzed in at the front of the building, and Grimmjow could hear his voice come through Ichigo's intercom through the partially open window.

"Ichigo-kuu~uun," came the sing song voice. "I'm here to take you out to lunch."

Ichigo got up from his desk to answer the buzz. "Coming, just give me a sec."

Ichigo grabbed a jacket and left his apartment, and as he made his way down the building Grimmjow made his way down the fire escape. Grimmjow followed them, though he was careful to keep his distance. He could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation as they made their way to a cafe and as they sat down to eat. Words and phrases would occasionally be carried to his ears on the breeze, but it didn't seem as though their conversation was anything out of the ordinary. They sounded like two normal people talking. First about Ichigo's family, then about Urahara's shop. It was boring enough to make Grimmjow cry.

Grimmjow was never more glad as when the conversation ended and Urahara paid the bill. The two started to walk back to Ichigo's apartment, but this time they walked with Urahara's hand nestled against Ichigo's lower back. It brought a frown to Grimmjow's face, as did the fact that Urahara was now leaning down to whisper into Ichigo's ear. He tried to get closer without being noticed, and yet could still only hear snippets of the conversation.

The words "too tired" from Ichigo's mouth, and then "don't feel like it today."

Urahara's voice was next, and Grimmjow's ears tensed as he strained to hear what was being said. " . . . at the very least, let me suck you off. . ."

Grimmjow froze, heart pounding. Ichigo was in that kind of relationship? With the old guy in a funny hat? And then he realized that Ichigo had most likely agreed, and the duo was getting farther and farther away from him. He stepped up the pace and followed them back to the apartment, where he took up his perch back at the fire escape.

He looked into the room, watching as Urahara and Ichigo entered. As soon as Ichigo had removed his jacket Urahara was on him, pulling him forward by the waist until their lips met in a series of kisses. Ichigo certainly didn't seem to mind it, Grimmjow thought, and indeed seemed to be kissing back as insistently as Urahara was kissing him. Urahara's hands moved up Ichigo's body, lifting his shirt up and off in the process. Ichigo let him, though he stepped away afterward, one hand on Urahara's chest.

"Just a blow job," Ichigo said.

Urahara smiled and nodded. "Just a blow job."

Grimmjow had an amazing view as Ichigo sat down on one of his wood kitchen chairs, dressed only in those skinny jeans. His chest was slimmer than it used to be, but you could still see traces of muscles that hadn't disappeared. Hard ridges outlining his pectorals and small lines brushing over his abdomen. And a sparse trail of light orange hair, disappearing into the waistband of his jeans. Grimmjow gulped. He had never thought of Ichigo as anything more than a good fight before, but now he was realizing that maybe he should have. Ichigo was hella sexy. It was odd to think that he should have been trying to rape the guy all this time, instead of just killing him.

Ichigo spread his legs and Urahara kneeled down between them, taking his stupid hat off to drop onto the floor. His hands ran up Ichigo's sides, and Grimmjow swore he could see Ichigo's skin shivering underneath their touch. So the man was responsive, Grimmjow thought, filing the fact away in his head. Then Urahara leaned forward, pressing kisses against the skin of Ichigo's chest. Grimmjow could see the man's lips as they pressed against soft skin, as they parted, as a moist tongue came out to taste the flesh there. In any spot they so desired. . . a dip of muscle here, a nipple there. How Grimmjow wished he was in Urahara's place.

And those lips were moving lower, lower. Ichigo's hands gripped tightly onto the armrests in anticipation as Urahara's fingers brushed over his zipper. And then they were pulling it down, the noise inordinately loud, or maybe that was Grimmjow's imagination. Grimmjow held his breath as Urahara nuzzled against Ichigo's crotch, as the hole in Ichigo's boxers parted just so to reveal flesh that was slightly darker than the rest of Ichigo's skin. Ichigo's dick, Grimmjow's mind supplied. Before completely short-circuiting as Urahara reached into that hole to pull it out.

Urahara's hand closed around the still soft cock, and Grimmjow could see the flesh swell slightly between the man's fingers. Grimmjow wished he could see Ichigo's balls, too, see how big they were and how they hung, but he supposed it wasn't meant to be. Urahara was leaning forward now, and took Ichigo's limp cock inside his mouth in one gulp.

Ichigo made a muffled moaning noise that went straight to Grimmjow's groin. His eyes clenched shut as his head tipped back, just a little bit. Grimmjow could hear the sucking noises as Urahara held Ichigo in his mouth, could imagine Ichigo's cock growing bigger inside the wet cavern of his mouth. Eventually Urahara started to bob up and down on Ichigo's now hard cock and Grimmjow was able to catch glimpses of the shaft of it, flushed slightly red and slick with saliva. He licked his lips at the sight of it.

"Urahara-san. . . " Ichigo's voice was strained, the syllables of Urahara's name barely formed. His knuckles were white, they were gripping the chair so tightly. He half-grunted, half-moaned, face twisting as his hips thrust forward, shooting his orgasm into Urahara's throat. Afterwards he visibly relaxed, head thrown back all the way and lips parted. Urahara kept sucking on him for a few moments before withdrawing, and when he did Ichigo was only half hard.

Urahara made his way to the kitchen sink, turning it on and rinsing out his mouth. Ichigo, much to Grimmjow's disappointment, was tucking that lovely cock back into his jeans and zipping up his pants.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Urahara asked. "I don't have to be back to the shop until tomorrow morning."

"Sorry," Ichigo replied, already reaching for his shirt, "but I'd rather be alone."

"I thought you would say that," Urahara said, smiling softly. He let Ichigo lead him to the door, but once there he gave the younger man one last kiss. "I'll see you in a week?"

Ichigo scowled even as he nodded. "Sure. See you then."

What the hell was in a week? Was Urahara coming back? Despite himself, Grimmjow decided to follow the man, just a little, just to see where he was going. He hadn't trailed Urahara one block, though, when Urahara started to talk to him.

"You don't have to hide," Urahara said, not turning around or breaking his stride, "I know that you're there. Enjoy the show?"

Well, shit. Still, if Urahara knew he was there this whole time and hadn't done anything, he probably didn't have any kind of vendetta against Grimmjow. Plus Grimmjow thought that he'd be able to take him. He sonidoed in front of Urahara and shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to look as unaffected as he could.

"How long have you been following him?" Urahara asked.

There was a small smirk on Urahara's face that Grimmjow wanted to punch right off. If it was one thing he hated, it was not being able to read a person.

"Two months," Grimmjow replied. He spread his lips out in a grin. "You got a problem with that?"

Urahara raised an eyebrow at the question. "Should I?"

"Well, you know, most people probably would if there was an Espada hanging around their boy toy," Grimmjow said, taking a step forward. He lifted his chin up and looked Urahara over. Yeah, he could take on this guy.

To his surprise, Urahara only chuckled. "I'm not most people, and Ichigo is hardly a boy toy. I am interested, however, to know why you're following Ichigo. It's not a fight you're after, is it?"

Grimmjow relaxed, if only minutely. It seemed as though Urahara wasn't interested in fighting him, which was fine with him. His battle lust wasn't what it used to be, back when he was in Aizen's employ. "You kidding? With some pathetic fucker who can't even tell I'm around?"

"Then why are you still following him?" Urahara asked, smirk growing.

Grimmjow scowled. "Fuck you. I'm leaving."

Grimmjow got ready to sonido back to Ichigo's apartment, but he was stopped in his tracks by Urahara's voice.

"Don't you want to know what happened?" Urahara asked. "Why Ichigo can't sense you?"

As a matter of fact, Grimmjow did. He stopped in the middle of his movements and looked over at Urahara, their eyes meeting.

"Call it a trade-off," Urahara said. "It was Ichigo's final move. The only surefire way to beat Aizen, only there was a steep cost to using it: all of his shinigami powers."

"He's more of an idiot than I thought, then," Grimmjow said, sneering. "I'd never have taken that deal."

"Well," Urahara said, smiling cheerfully, "that's the difference between you and Ichigo. Now, Grimmjow, there's still this matter of you stalking Ichigo. That interest wouldn't be romantic, would it?"

"You getting me confused with someone else here?" Grimmjow asked. "Who exactly do you think you're talking to?"

"Or maybe sexual?"

"Che. Even if it was, you don't need to worry about it. Not like I can get in his pants the way we are. He can't even fucking see me."

"Would you be interested in changing that?"

The question froze Grimmjow for a moment. He really, really hated not being able to read a person, and Urahara was the definition of unreadable. "And why would you be interested in helping me fuck Ichigo?"

"Let's not be so uncouth, Grimmjow," Urahara replied, looking highly amused by Grimmjow's confusion. "The fact is my main interest is making Ichigo happy. God knows he deserves, after what he's done for everyone. And while happiness is something I'm not sure you can give him, at the very least you'll keep his life interesting. If you're interested in humoring me, Ichigo's going back to Karakura town next weekend to visit his family. Why don't you come with him? You should be able to find my shop easily enough."

Grimmjow frowned as Urahara walked off. Sly bastard. . . he wondered what Urahara's real motives were, or if that was it. People usually didn't offer to let former enemies fuck current boyfriends, and he didn't trust Urahara as far as he could throw him. Fuck. He made his way back to Ichigo's apartment, wondering if he was going to take Urahara up on whatever this offer was going to be. Though if sex with Ichigo was on the table, maybe it would be worth a shot. What would the harm be, exactly?

The week didn't pass quickly enough. It passed mostly like any other week since Grimmjow had been there: watch Ichigo go to school, watch Ichigo study. With the added addition of jerking off while watching Ichigo shower. Yeah, he didn't think that there was any way he would pass up on Urahara's offer. What pissed him off was that Urahara seemed to know that, that he seemed confident Grimmjow would do whatever he wanted. But that was something Grimmjow could live with.

Once Friday rolled around, Grimmjow watched as Ichigo packed a small bag of belongings and made his way out the door. He watched as Ichigo locked up. He watched as Ichigo made his way to the train station. And he sat opposite the other man on the train car, watching as Ichigo listened to his mp3 player or read from his textbook. A few hours later the train was pulling into Karakura town and Ichigo was getting ready to get off. Grimmjow followed him through the streets of the familiar town, but when the path split between the Kurosaki household and the Urahara shop, Grimmjow took the opposite path. He watched Ichigo walk away, then turned and headed towards the place he would find Urahara.

Urahara's shop wasn't exactly what Grimmjow was expecting. Most likely due to the fact that it seemed to sell candy. Grimmjow made his way through the rows of glass jars, filled with a rainbow of sweet confections. Where were the black market shinigami devices? Experimental drugs? It was hardly the kind of merchandise Grimmjow expected the fallen shinigami to be selling.

Urahara himself came out of the back to greet him, a large smile on his face.

"Grimmjow! I'm glad to see you came."

"Don't bullshit me," Grimmjow said. "Like you didn't know I would come from the get go."

Urahara laughed as he placed a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder, an irritating noise that rang false in Grimmjow's ears. "Now, now. Even I can't predict everything."

Urahara led Grimmjow into the back, and here he did see goods that were more in keeping with Urahara's history. He wondered if Soul Society knew about the racket Urahara was running here, if they knew how much of their merchandise he had. At any rate, he was led down a hallway and into a small room, the only piece of furniture in it being a singular cot. On top of the cot was. . . well, it was him. Without the hollow hole, without the vestige of a mask that clung to his jaw, but him nonetheless.

"What the fuck is this?" he asked, poking the lifeless. . . thing. It felt like a human body, all tangible flesh, though it was clear that it wasn't breathing or moving in any way.

"Hmm." Urahara seemed amused enough. "I suppose Aizen never felt the need to give any of you gigais?"

Grimmjow shook his head. Why on earth would he need a fleshy duplicate of himself?

"This is what shinigami use when they have to stay in the human world for an extended period of time," Urahara said. "It's a tangible body. . . humans can see it and interact with it. Plus, this particular gigai has an added benefit in that it suppresses reiatsu. So while you'll be able to sense spiritual power while you're in it, you won't be able to use it yourself."

Grimmjow scowled. "Added benefit? You think I'd be happy with something like that?"

"Well, it's not safe to keep a wild cat without at least declawing it," Urahara replied, shrugging a little bit. "Consider it a trade off. You won't be able to use any reiatsu anymore, but you get another shot at life. There's a reason you've been staying in the human world so long, and I'm willing to bet you'd rather stay here than go back to the emptiness of Hueco Mundo."

Grimmjow tensed. "Fuck are you saying? That you'll send me back to that place if I don't agree to this?"

And that fucker Urahara still wouldn't stop smiling. "I never said that, exactly. I just think that if you stay here, you should be a productive member of society."

Grimmjow frowned at the gigai. He knew what Urahara was and wasn't saying, and he knew a threat when he heard one. "And I get to fuck Ichigo as part of this deal. Does he know about this?"

"Do you care?" Urahara asked.

Touché. But Urahara was right, as much as Grimmjow was loath to admit it. He didn't want to go back to Hueco Mundo. Hueco Mundo was nothingness. It was the complete absence of anything, anything but sun and sand and wind. And he could feel that sand wearing down his soul, bit by bit, until eventually he would be nothing too. To go back to that place again. . . the thought made desperation and hopelessness flare up in Grimmjow's chest, made his hands clench at his side. He didn't want to go back there.

"Fine," he finally said, voice uncharacteristically weak. "I'll do it. How does this work, anyway?"

"Well," Urahara said, "you just hop in, really. I'm not sure how it will react to an Arrancar body, but it might take a day or two for your spiritual body to assimilate to its new physical one. But once it does you'll wake up, all safe and sound and healthy."

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. "You won't pull any funny stuff while I'm asleep?"

Urahara smiled and held a hand up to his heart. "I swear it."

Grimmjow wasn't sure if he believed the man or not, but he figured he didn't have a choice if he didn't want to be sent back to Hueco Mundo. He stepped up to the cot, then slowly sank into the body. After that, everything went black.

Grimmjow woke up to a dimly lit, empty room. His entire body felt sore. . . and heavy. He had never felt this kind of weight before, wasn't used to it as he started to move his fingers and his toes. Grimmjow wasn't sure that he liked it. He pushed his upper torso off the cot, but froze as his vision blurred and his limbs started to shake. It took several moments for it to pass. Then his vision was restored and his body seemed stable enough. Slowly, he got off the cot, careful to keep a hand on it in case he fell. But his body seemed fine now, and he was very quickly becoming accustomed to the feel of it.

Now, where was that goddamned Urahara? Grimmjow made his way out of the room. He could hear something, maybe, voices coming from down the hall. Well, he didn't have anywhere else to go. He walked over to find a door that was half open and whispered voices coming from behind it. It definitely sounded like Urahara and Ichigo, though he couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. Grimmjow stepped through. . . and found himself growing hard rather instantaneously.

Urahara looked up from where he had just finished tying Ichigo's hands to the headboard with a piece of white fabric. He smirked and held a finger to his lips, and Grimmjow was more than happy to follow the unspoken command for now. Because in addition to being tied to the headboard, Ichigo was also blindfolded, and very, very nude.

"That's not too tight, is it, Ichigo?" Urahara asked.

"It's fine," Ichigo said, and from the breathy way he said it Grimmjow gathered that they hadn't just started their activities. No, if Grimmjow had to guess, he would say that they were probably nearing the end of their foreplay.

"Not too loose, either, I hope."

"Just get on with it already." Ichigo said, and it was almost a moan.

"As you wish." Urahara crept down Ichigo's bare body, placing kisses all along Ichigo's chest and abdomen as he did so. Finally he settled between Ichigo's spread legs, hands brushing up and down Ichigo's thighs.

Grimmjow walked closer. Without Urahara obstructing the way, he could now see Ichigo's cock, clear as day. It was completely hard, laying flush to Ichigo's body even as it pointed straight up his stomach. The foreskin had pulled away to reveal a round, purple-tinged head, the thinnest trail of pre-cum leaking from its slit. Small, round balls hung underneath his cock, a deeper brown color than the skin around it.

Urahara bent down and licked a long, slow trail from the base of the shaft to the tip of the head. The sensation made Ichigo visibly shiver, a low moan reverberating from the bottom of his throat. He thrust his hips forward, a little, but Urahara was moving down, pressing a kiss against one of those balls before sucking it into his mouth. This time the moan didn't just stay in the bottom of Ichigo's throat. Ichigo's lips parted as the low "aahn" noise filled the room and shot straight to Grimmjow's groin.

Grimmjow licked his lips, wondering when he was going to get the chance to participate. But then Urahara released Ichigo's ball with a loud, wet noise, and moved lower still. His hands came to rest behind Ichigo's knees, and he lifted his legs up even as he spread them even more. Grimmjow watched as Ichigo's little pink hole came into view, as it spread open just a little with Ichigo's legs. Urahara ran his tongue over the rim of it before shoving it in altogether.

Ichigo groaned even louder still. His body pushed back on Urahara's tongue, instinctively trying to get it in deeper. He looked like he absolutely loved it, getting fucked by Urahara's tongue. Grimmjow had to admit he didn't hate the sight. . . he reached down, unzipping his pants and pulling out his fully hard cock. He started to stroke it, feeling it grow slick as pre-cum oozed out the tip of it. Urahara ate Ichigo's hole for several long, long moments before he withdrew, a smirk on his lips.

"You love that, don't you?" Urahara asked. "You could come just from me rimming you."

"Yeah," Ichigo moaned, in between breaths. "I love it when you fuck me with your tongue."

Grimmjow could have come just from hearing those words leave Ichigo's lips. Urahara lowered Ichigo's legs to the bed and gestured for Grimmjow to come closer. Grimmjow did so, and as Urahara got off the bed Grimmjow got on, smoothly taking the older man's space between Ichigo's legs.

Grimmjow stroked himself as he looked down , taking in the sight of Ichigo naked and beneath him. The man's lips were parted and moist, just begging to be kissed and bitten, but Grimmjow would ignore them for now. He couldn't very well give away the fact that he wasn't Urahara. Instead, he pressed one of his hands against Ichigo's thigh and gripped his large cock with the other. The cute little hole came into view, glistening with Urahara's saliva and possible other substances. He hoped that Urahara had given Ichigo a good fingering before, because there was no way in hell he was going to take the time to prepare him right now. Not when all he wanted to do was shove himself inside that little hole.

Urahara was gone. Most likely he was just at the side of the bed, jerking himself off as his boy toy was being fucked by someone else, the creepy pervert, but in Grimmjow's mind he was gone. He couldn't care less if Urahara was watching or not. He pressed the tip of his cock against Ichigo's hole, then watched as it seemed to open up and swallow him.

Grimmjow bit his lip from making any noise, but Ichigo was a different story. He arched and moaned at the intrusion, louder than he was before. Fuck. Grimmjow looked down to where they were joined, releasing his hand from his cock and using it to push up Ichigo's other thigh. Ichigo was so hot and soft, and was just spreading open so fucking easily. Grimmjow watched as he pushed in, watched as his cock disappeared bit by bit into Ichhigo's hole. He did it slowly, wanting to draw out every moan from Ichigo's lips, wanting Ichigo to feel every inch of him as he sunk in.

As soon as he was all the way in, Grimmjow pulled out again. He didn't want to waste any time before fucking the other man raw. He was as violent as he could be in his movements, thrusting in hard and deep every time. So hard that the headboard banged into the wall each time, that the mattress wouldn't stop protesting. He was really pounding Ichigo into the mattress, and Ichigo fucking loved it. He was writhing underneath Grimmjow, crying out with each thrust into him. He gasped and moaned, and every so often Grimmjow could hear utterances that sounded suspiciously like "harder, fuck me harder."

Grimmjow could feel himself getting close. He sped up his pace even as he grew aware that it was becoming more erratic. His hands tightened on the backs of Ichigo's thighs, pushed Ichigo's legs even closer to his chest. He could see Urahara now, in his field of view. The man had his cock out and was stroking it, moving it so it was close and pointed directly at Ichigo's face. As Grimmjow fucked Ichigo he watched as Urahara came, cock twitching before sending spurts of white cream out to land on Ichigo's face.

Ichigo froze, realizing immediately that something was off. But before he could say anything about it Urahara was reaching down to grab his cock. Any complaints or questions Ichigo might have had turned into a load moan as his cock was squeezed and fondled. It only took a few strokes before he came, spilling himself onto his stomach, and Grimmjow could feel Ichigo's body convulse around Grimmjow's cock. As Ichigo trembled in his afterglow, Grimmjow continued to fuck him, until he grunted his release deep into the other man's body.

That's when Urahara pulled off the blindfold.

"What the fuck?" Ichigo shouted, eyes widening. "Grimmjow?"

* * *

Ichigo sounded livid. Grimmjow slouched down on Urahara's couch, one arm casually thrown over the top of it as the other uselessly flipped through channels on the remote. As he watched the scenes flicker through the television set, he listened to the loud argument going on in the room next door. He couldn't actually make out what was being said, but he could hear well enough that Ichigo was angry, and he could hear Urahara attempting to appease him every now and then when he could get a word in. Wasn't his fucking problem, Grimmjow thought. He had just been along for the ride, after all.

And what an amazing one it had been.

He wouldn't mind taking it again in the near future, actually. But then he heard a fist being punched into a wall and the sound of a door slamming. He looked up as Urahara walked into the room, his smile somewhat strained. It made Grimmjow feel strangely happy. Served the bastard right.

"For some reason," Urahara said, "Ichigo is not very pleased with me right now."

"Yeah," Grimmjow replied, "people get like that when their boyfriends pimp them out without even telling them."

He might have been a bloodthirsty Arrancar, but even he knew that.

"He's not my boyfriend," Urahara said. "And I thought he would have fun. You two seemed to have such a bond during the war, after all."

"I was constantly trying to kill him," Grimmjow said, slowly, as though Urahara was a child who needed syllables to be stretched out in order to understand.

"It's a thin line between love and hate," Urahara replied. Then he sighed, a long, drawn out sound. "At any rate, I guess we should get you set up somewhere."

"I can take care of myself," Grimmjow said, scowling. The last thing he wanted was to be indebted to Urahara Kisuke. . . it was like making a deal with the devil. Grimmjow would have been more willing to make a deal with Aizen, actually.

Urahara raised an eyebrow at the definitive statement. "Can you? I'll have you know that in your new gigai you'll need food, and food requires money. Without a job you'll end up homeless in the park soon enough, and you're not going to get a job on your own. Not with your lack of skills and official papers."

Grimmjow's scowl deepened. "Yeah? And you're willing to help me out with all that? Just because you're such a nice guy?"

"Of course," Urahara said, a rather sinister smile spreading over his lips. "It's just the kind of gentle soul I am. Now, I was thinking you should stay in Tokyo, since you seem to like it. How do you feel about working in a cake shop?"

"You're fucking kidding me," Grimmjow said. He could just imagine that, him in a frilly white apron frosting some cake while smiling cheerfully at customers. Yeah, that wasn't him.

"Oh, on the contrary," Urahara replied. "I think it will suit you quite well."

A few hours later Grimmjow found himself on a train back to Tokyo, an address and a thousand yen in his pocket. On loan from Urahara, of course. Grimmjow shuddered to think what the interest was going to be. From the station it didn't take him long to find the address. It was an empty apartment in a decent area. Apparently the landlord, an old connection of Urahara's, had been having trouble renting it out and was willing to let Grimmjow stay at a reduced rate.

Once Grimmjow got there, it was easy to see why. The elevator, which stunk of piss, broke down halfway to Grimmjow's floor. There were wooden boards nailed across his door. And, once he smashed his way into the apartment, he found himself inhaling tangible clouds of dust. He stumbled to the only window in the one-room apartment and quickly opened it before sticking his head out. Well, he thought, at least the place had a great view. All those skyscrapers, lit up in front of him, like an ocean of metal and glass. He could almost feel it pulse, there was so much life thrumming through it.

After the dust had settled somewhat Grimmjow stuck his head back into the apartment, back into that small confined space. It was smaller than Ichigo's apartment, but he didn't mind so much. He didn't need a lot of space, and there was something comforting about the narrow walls. Grimmjow sat back against one of them and spread his legs out on the dirty wooden floor. He guessed this was what humans would call a home. The thought of it didn't seem as strange to Grimmjow as he would have expected. Tired and worn out, Grimmjow slid onto the floor and fell asleep.

Grimmjow woke up with the sun. It was a habit from the centuries he had spent in Hueco Mundo, when sleep had been a liability and long days were spent on the hunt. It was a habit that was coming in handy now, now that he had a job.

Contrary to Urahara's initial suggestion, Grimmjow wasn't placed somewhere making frilly pink cakes. Urahara had figured that manual labor was the only thing Grimmjow could really do, and had called in another favor to get him a job unloading cargo at the docks. The job suited Grimmjow just fine. He'd rather do something physical than sit behind a desk all day, an activity that he had watched many humans doing over the few months he had been in this world. And he could keep to himself.

Day in, day out, Grimmjow quickly became used to the repetition of a human lifestyle. Wake up, work, go home, eat, sleep. The hardest part of his lifestyle was the people. Most of them were insufferable idiots. Fat slobs who didn't seem to care that they were wasting their humanity, know-it-all losers who thought they were better than everyone else. Grimmjow had found himself on the verge of punching several of them out on multiple occasions, but somehow he always managed to keep himself together. It was no small feat and he was pretty proud of it.

It didn't take long, though, before the ennui of this life was bearing down on him like the sands of Hueco Mundo. What was he doing, he asked himself, what was the point of even staying here? That nothingness was looming over him once again. He hadn't thought it was possible to feel alone in a huge city of millions, but that was exactly how he felt. For everything that filled it, this world was starting to feel strangely empty.

Grimmjow could feel it building inside of him, that feeling of nothingness, until it once again exploded in the form of blood and violence. All it took that day were a few pompous comments from the waste of a man who was his supervisor, and Grimmjow's fists were pounding into fat and bone. A few of his co-workers had to pull him off before he caused any permanent damage, and then the police were taking him away.

As Grimmjow sat in the gray, damp holding cell, he wondered not for the first time what he was doing here. When Urahara had given him another chance at life he had taken it, if only so he wouldn't have to go back to Hueco Mundo. But this world was proving to be just as lonely as that one.

The door to his cell opened, and Grimmjow looked up to see the scowling face of one Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Get up," Ichigo said. "Urahara called me. I'm taking you home."

Grimmjow shoved his heads in his pocket as he stood up and followed Ichigo out of the cell. The other man didn't look too happy to see him, but it's not like Grimmjow had expected him to. "My key's in my work locker. I can't get it until tomorrow."

Ichigo's scowl deepened, but Grimmjow's smile spread.

"Guess I'm staying with you for the night," Grimmjow said. The thought of it wasn't so bad; maybe there was a possibly of a sequel to the last time they were together.

"Are you sure there's not a park bench with your name on it somewhere?" Apparently, Ichigo did not agree with Grimmjow's point of view.

"You sure you're okay letting me loose on an unsuspecting populace?"

Grimmjow could almost hear Ichigo's teeth grinding together. Grimmjow had to admit that it was fun to push the other man's buttons. It was so easy, too, sometimes. It also helped that this Ichigo seemed a bit more emotional than the one Grimmjow had known during the war.

"Please," Ichigo said, "at least tell me you're housebroken."

"Mostly," Grimmjow replied, letting his grin spread even further.

They walked mostly in silence back to Ichigo's apartment, and neither of them really minded it. It gave Grimmjow time to study the other man. Not that he hadn't had enough time studying him before, when he had been watching him for months. Maybe it was a force of habit, or maybe he just liked looking at Ichigo, he wasn't sure. But Ichigo just kept staring directly forward, completely focused on the path ahead of him. His skin was just as pale, the expression in his eyes just as blank.

When they got back to his apartment, Ichigo went straight to his bed and crashed into it.

"You can have the floor," Ichigo said. "It's late. I'm going to sleep."

But Grimmjow didn't take the floor. He stood there, watching Ichigo. And Ichigo didn't go to sleep. He had trouble sleeping, Grimmjow knew that for a fact. And indeed, Ichigo looked like he wasn't going to go to sleep anytime soon. Instead, he lay there and tried to ignore Grimmjow, eyes open as they stared up at the ceiling.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Grimmjow spat out, because he couldn't help himself. The man in front of him had fucking won a war. This was not the attitude of a war hero. At least, Grimmjow didn't think it was.

Ichigo turned to look at him, but his eyes weren't the angry glare that Grimmjow had expected. They were still blank, like Ichigo couldn't give a shit about what Grimmjow said or did. It pissed Grimmjow off.

"What do you care?" Ichigo asked.

"Who said I did?" Grimmjow asked back. "Like fuck I'd care about anything having to do with you."

It was a lie and Grimmjow knew it as soon as he said it. He had been watching Ichigo for months, after all, so he couldn't even pretend to himself that he wasn't at least curious. He made his way to the bed and sat down on the edge. Ichigo, for his part, only turned onto his side, back facing Grimmjow and eyes facing the window. Surprisingly, it was Ichigo who broke this new silence between them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo asked. "Why did you come to this world?"

"Because it was better than being in Hueco Mundo," Grimmjow said. The statement surprised him even as it left his mouth; he hadn't expected to actually be honest with the other man. But seeing Ichigo like this was pissing him off, and he had to do something to change it. Getting angry and antagonistic hadn't seemed to be doing anything. "You don't know what it's like there. Fucking unbearable. Sand dunes that stretch to eternity, and sometimes it seems like you're the only one among them. Nothing but emptiness."

"This world isn't so different," Ichigo replied, and Grimmjow found that he completely understood what Ichigo meant. Hadn't he felt it himself, after all, these last few days?

"That why you're being so pathetic?" Grimmjow asked. "Depressed cause you don't have any friends in Tokyo? Your shinigami friends don't call you enough?"

"Try not at all," Ichigo said. "I haven't heard from anybody from Soul Society since I lost my powers."

The admission shut Grimmjow up for a moment. Or maybe it wasn't the words themselves. . . maybe it was the hurt thinly concealed in Ichigo's voice. Grimmjow wasn't one for loyalty, and friends were something he hadn't had for as long as he could remember, so he wasn't sure why that would hurt Ichigo. But he had sense enough to realize that it did.

"It's not that hard to get a gigai," Ichigo continued, voice small. On the reflection of the window, Grimmjow could see the crease that had formed over Ichigo's eyebrows. "It's been years, after all, you'd think they could borrow one for a weekend and come say hi. But I guess they have better things to do than come visit me. It's just that I thought, after all we've been through together. . . at least Rukia would. . . at least Renji. . ."

Ichigo's voice was beginning to crack, so he stopped. Grimmjow didn't push him to continue. He got it. They had used him to defeat Aizen and then they had tossed him aside. Shinigami weren't much different from arrancar, after all.

"Hey, you've got Urahara," Grimmjow said. "You seem to be having a lot of fun with him."

Ichigo shrugged. "Urahara's okay."

"Just okay? What are you doing fooling around with him, then? The guy's a complete perv, in case you haven't noticed."

"It's not as though I don't know that," Ichigo said, frowning. "And, to tell the truth, it's not like I like all the kinky stuff he's into. But I don't mind it, really. And he always makes sure I feel good, too. Plus, when I'm with him, it's like. . . you know what? Never mind. I don't have to discuss my sex life with you."

But Grimmjow was already catching on to what Ichigo had been about to say. "Fuck. You're not just sleeping with him because he reminds you of your shinigami days, are you?"

"Fuck you," Ichigo said, but there was no denial in his words or in his tone of voice.

Is that why Urahara had wanted Grimmjow around Ichigo? Did he think that it would remind Ichigo of happier days? So he hadn't been lying when he said he just wanted Ichigo to be happy.

"It's hard," Ichigo finally said. "I used to be part of something bigger, and now what am I? A university student, just like any other university student. Even more than Rukia and Renji not coming to visit, this is worse. Knowing that there's a huge world out there, right outside my window, and I'm not a part of it anymore."

Fuck. Now Ichigo was making Grimmjow depressed. Because he got it. Like a bird being told it couldn't fly anymore, or a track star being paralyzed from the waist down. . . it wasn't just a world being closed off to Ichigo. It was life as he knew it.

"Look," Grimmjow said, trying his best to comfort, even as he realized he didn't know how. "I don't have my powers anymore, either."

"You still have some of them," Ichigo said. "There could be a hollow right on my fire escape and I wouldn't even know it, but you would. And you can get your powers back, whenever you want, as soon as you decide that you're bored living in this world."

"But I'm not going to do that." Grimmjow wasn't sure why he said it. He didn't even know if he believed it. He had certainly never thought that far ahead.

At any rate, the statement got Ichigo to turn towards him. And his eyes weren't blank anymore, at least. They were burning with a strange kind of sadness.

"You're a liar," Ichigo said. "Why would you possibly stay?"

Ichigo started to turn away again, but Grimmjow grabbed his shoulders, held him down on the bed.

"Because I'm sick of being by myself," Grimmjow said. "And if you're around to keep me company, at least I won't be alone."

"Get off, Grimmjow," Ichigo said, scowling, but it's not like Grimmjow ever listened to what Ichigo said.

And Ichigo wasn't struggling that hard anyway. So when Grimmjow bent down and claimed Ichigo's lips in a harsh kiss, it wasn't a huge surprise when Ichigo went from lightly struggling to pulling Grimmjow towards him in an instant. His arms wrapped under Grimmjow's arms and up around his back, pulling them together so they were chest to chest, even as Grimmjow licked and bit at his lips. There was a desperation to his movements, something Grimmjow didn't fail to notice, but it's not like Grimmjow minded or even really cared.

They ground together, their lips bruising as they mashed together. Somehow, in the middle of it all, Grimmjow managed to pull away, managed to get both their pants and boxers off. The pieces of clothing were thrown somewhere onto the floor and forgotten as Grimmjow straddled Ichigo and their now exposed cocks rubbed together.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo moaned, and it was almost a sob. His hands grasped at Grimmjow's back, fingers tangling in the fabric there.

Grimmjow bent down to capture Ichigo's mouth again. Shutting him up was preferable to listening to his sad moans. As they rutted against one another their cocks grew hard and slick with their combined pre-cum. It felt good, just doing this, just feeling Ichigo against him, but Grimmjow knew that they weren't just going to stop there. At least, there was no way he was going to stop with just that.

He reached behind himself with a finger, cringing slightly as he pushed it inside of his hole. It didn't feel bad, but then again, it was only a finger. He fucked himself with it as he made out with Ichigo, feeling as his hole got used to the sensation and relaxed. That was his cue to insert another finger, and then he was using two to fuck himself. He scissored and twisted them inside of himself, getting himself ready for Ichigo's cock. It might have been better to use lubricant, but he wasn't a patient man, and it's not like he hadn't done this before. This kind of pain he could deal with; he wasn't some pussy that needed to be warmed up with a lot of foreplay.

Finally, Grimmjow took his fingers out and broke his kisses with Ichigo. He grabbed the headboard with one hand as he leaned over and grabbed Ichigo's cock with the other. He positioned it at his hole, feeling the blunt, hot tip as it touched his skin, and then started to lower himself onto it. Shit. It hurt. It felt good, yeah, but it fucking hurt. He grunted as he impaled himself on it, inch by inch, until he was completely seated on Ichigo's cock. And the whole time Ichigo had been reaching for him, hands moving across his back, trying to pull him closer. He had never seen the man so needy, and he didn't think that he liked it.

But that wasn't something he wanted to think about, not now than Ichigo was making the most delicious-sounding keening moans. You'd think that it was Ichigo being penetrated, not the other way around. Ichigo's eyes were clenched shut, his eyebrow furrowed. "Grimmjow" was a mantra on his lips, spilling over and over again, and that part Grimmjow was sure he could get used to. But then he always was a bit of an egoist.

Grimmjow let go of the headboard and leaned down, placing his forearms down on the bed. Ichigo wasted no time in wrapping his arms up and around Grimmjow's back, and Grimmjow buried a kiss in that bright orange hair.

"Ready?" he asked.

Ichigo nodded vehemently against his chest.

"Okay. Here I go."

Grimmjow pulled himself off than pushed himself back onto Ichigo's cock. The movement wrenched a cry from Ichigo's lips and a grunt from Grimmjow's. He kept riding Ichigo's cock that way until the pleasure overtook the pain, and the pain had faded to a very dull throb. It felt good fucking himself on Ichigo's cock. He could feel his own cock, which had gone soft, start to stir again. The feeling of having someone inside of him coupled with Ichigo's moans was more than enough to get him completely hard. He could feel his cock rub against Ichigo's belly as they fucked, the sensation sending ripples of pleasure throughout his body.

"Yeah," Grimmjow moaned, fucking himself at an even faster pace. "Fuck yeah. You feel so fucking good inside me."

Ichigo only moaned in response. Maybe it was the only reply he was capable of giving at the moment, the man seemed so consumed by their fucking. As Ichigo moaned into Grimmjow's chest his fingers dug into Grimmjow's back, fingernails almost digging through the thin fabric of Grimmjow's shirt.

"Grimmjow," he said, over and over again, like he couldn't remember any other words.

"Fuck," Grimmjow said, really riding the shit out of that cock. It had been a long time since he had done this, too long, and it felt too fucking good. He could feel his hole spread open every time Ichigo's cock entered him, could feel it close up a little each time it left. Ichigo's cock was so hot and hard, just perfect inside of his hole. "Fuck, Ichigo, you're so hot."

"I'm coming," Ichigo finally said, in that breathy way that he did, arms grasping for Grimmjow.

Grimmjow pushed himself down on Ichigo's cock just a few more times before pulling off entirely. He crept down between Ichigo's legs, spreading them open as he reached for Ichigo's cock. It only took five hard strokes before the other man came, spilling himself into the curls of his pubic hair and the lines of his lower abdomen.

Grimmjow kept stroking, milking every small spurt of white cum from Ichigo's cock. When he was done he moved two of his fingers to Ichigo's groin, swirling them in the semen that lay there. His cock was hard and neglected, and now it was his turn to do something about it.

Without preamble, Grimmjow shoved his two slick fingers up Ichigo's small hole. Ichigo grunted with the intrusion, but he was much too relaxed in his afterglow to really care. His body was equally relaxed; his hole was soft and yielding, the inside of his body more than happy to spread open for Grimmjow's fingers. Grimmjow spent the minimal amount of time getting Ichigo ready. Once his hole seemed pliant enough, he pulled out his fingers and used a hand to position himself at Ichigo's entrance.

After being thoroughly fucked, Grimmjow didn't need that much longer to make himself shoot. He almost came just shoving himself up Ichigo's hole. He watched as he halfway disappeared inside of it, the rim of Ichigo's hole spreading up around his cock. He could only get about two-thirds of the way in before Ichigo's body started to protest, but that was good enough for him. He stroked the base of his cock as he pushed the rest of it in and out. It felt so fucking good, being inside Ichigo again, he wondered why he hadn't gone to look for the man before this. Soon enough he felt himself about to come, and he pulled himself out and gave his cock a few more hard yanks. With a twitch Grimmjow's cock started to shoot, the white semen falling through the air to land in spurts on Ichigo's limp cock and balls.

Grimmjow breathed heavily as he watched his cum land on Ichigo's body, watched as it dripped over his skin. Ichigo looked just as spent as Grimmjow felt, but was tracing lazy circles in the vestiges of cum that had landed on his stomach.

"You going to rub that all in?" Grimmjow asked, because if there was a nice moment between them he couldn't help but want to ruin it.

Sure enough, Ichigo scowled and reached for the tissues by his bed. Grimmjow reached for one as well, and sat back down next to Ichigo as they wiped their bodies clean. Afterwards they sat there, awkward and not sure what to say to one another, dirty tissues strewn between them. Finally Grimmjow couldn't stand it anymore and pushed Ichigo down on the bed as he spooned against his back.

"It's getting late," Grimmjow said, wrapping his arm around Ichigo's chest. "Let's go to sleep."

Ichigo nodded at the statement and pressed back, obviously not in the mood to protest.

The next morning Ichigo woke up to feel a very distinct absence in his bed. In his half asleep state he wasn't sure what it could be, but then he shot up as he realized it. Grimmjow. Grimmjow wasn't there anymore.

He didn't even have to scan his studio apartment to make sure; it was completely empty. His hand tangled in the bed sheets beside him, but they were cold to the touch. Outside the open window he could hear the sounds of traffic and children at play. He felt his chest tighten a little, but then he laughed, the sound ringing hollow in the small space.

Of course Grimmjow would have left. What reason could he have to stay? The guy seemed like the type to fuck and run; after all, after he had gotten his brand new gigai, it's not like he had ever tried to visit Ichigo. Past getting sprung from jail and then getting his rocks off, Grimmjow had no reason to stick around. He was just like everyone else, using him and then leaving him.

Ichigo wondered if he was going crazy. Had he actually wanted Grimmjow to stay? But Grimmjow had felt so real, had felt like something truly tangible in his otherwise empty life. Grimmjow had felt like a part of who he had been. Enemies or lovers, he and Grimmjow understood each other, and understood what the other had gone through.

Ichigo shook his head at his idiocy. Of course Grimmjow wouldn't have stayed. He leaned back into his bed and stared at the ceiling. It was fine. He was alone before, and he could be alone again. But just as he let the hopelessness overtake him, Ichigo heard the knob on his apartment door turning. His head snapped up to see a familiar mop of blue hair as Grimmjow stepped back into the room. The man was fully dressed in his t-shirt and jeans and black leather jacket. He was holding two aluminum cans in his hands, and was frowning as he made his way back towards the bed.

"What the hell is up with your face?" Grimmjow asked, eyes narrowing at Ichigo. "You look like you're about to cry."

"I don't," Ichigo protested, as he schooled his face into his usual expression. God, when had he become so needy? He had never been like this before, wondered where it had all come from. Maybe he wasn't dealing with the after effects of the war as well as he thought he was.

"I got you a soda for breakfast," Grimmjow said, tossing a can towards Ichigo as he sat down beside the boy. He had his own can, and snapped it open to take a drink.

Ichigo did the same, letting the too-sweet syrup wash down his throat. He hated soda, but at least drinking it was something to do. Something to occupy his hands and his mouth with as he sat in the awkward silence that seemed to so often spring up between him and Grimmjow. Now that Grimmjow was back he wasn't sure what to feel, what to do. He wasn't sure what to say, so he let his thoughts drift over to more mundane topics.

"Now what are you going to do?" he asked, and realized that he was genuinely curious to find out. There was no doubt that Grimmjow would be fired from his job after beating up his supervisor. He would be lucky if charges weren't pressed against him, considering the state the man was in by the time the police and ambulance had gotten there. And even if Grimmjow found another job, there was no promise that he wouldn't end up getting pissed and doing the same exact thing over again.

"Well, I'm out a job," Grimmjow said. "I was thinking that before I get another one, I might as well crash here. Won't have enough money for rent, and your place is a lot nicer anyway."

Ichigo frowned. Despite what they had been through, despite what he had felt this morning, he wasn't sure that he wanted Grimmjow living with him. It just seemed like a recipe for disaster. There was barely enough space for one person in this apartment, let alone two. And besides, going so quickly from enemies to live-in lovers just didn't seem right.

"Only until you get a new job, right?" he asked.

"What are you saying?" Grimmjow asked back, grinning. "You don't want me here? Come on, it's us against the world, isn't it? Didn't you say you were lonely?"

Ichigo wondered if it wasn't also Grimmjow who was feeling alone in the world, but he didn't voice that particular question. Instead he sipped on his soda, acclimating himself to the idea that he was now going to live with someone who had tried to kill him multiple times. Funny, it didn't feel as odd as he would have thought. He looked over at Grimmjow, studying the man's handsome profile. Grimmjow was staring at some fixed point in the wall, seemingly lost in thought.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo said, watching as Grimmjow turned towards him. "Are we really doing this?"

Grimmjow looked at him for a long, hard moment, before finally shrugging. "You got anything better to do?"

Ichigo supposed that he didn't. He looked away and took another sip of his soda. There was no harm in trying, he thought. Maybe he was insane, getting into a relationship with a sociopathic Arrancar. There was no way in Hueco Mundo that they would be able to make it work. But. . . there was no harm in trying, right? Ichigo settled back into his pillow, not surprised when the bed creaked with someone else's weight and Grimmjow's heat settled beside him.

Maybe he was just being pathetic, but this didn't seem wrong. Ichigo placed his can on his lap. Stared down at it, stared through it. And then he stared back up at Grimmjow, who looked just as unsure as he felt.

"Don't think about it," Grimmjow said. "We'll just take it a day at a time."

Ichigo nodded. He could do that.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied. "One day at a time."


End file.
